Julie 076
by Akktri
Summary: A party of Xenomorphs, clones and other misfits try to escape the jungle planet Pandora.
1. Chapter 1: New Home

ELLIE'S JOURNAL, EIGHTH QUARTER MOON, 1ST CYCLE, PLANET PANDORA, DAY

Every time I dream, I see Americans killing children. Every time I didn't do what they wanted, a red uniformed man or woman killed a kid, blaming _me_ for their executions. When I saw the man in the red jumpsuit sitting next to my bed, I thought I was having a nightmare.

The man had long brown hair and ice blue eyes. "High priestess!" he said to me. "We must retrieve the body of our dear departed _Fa-La...Her last wishes, you understand?_ "

I groaned and sat up, rubbing my head.

The man's name was _Golic_. He'd created a religion out of worshiping aliens. Now that we _lived_ on an alien planet, the guy had gone off the deep end, making up a whole elaborate mythology about the adventures that brought us here. Tido, his tall, horse faced companion in army camo, stood silently at the entrance to my cave, a human breeze ruffling the pony tail of an otherwise hairless head.

I still wasn't quite awake. " _Fa...La?_ "

 _"Yes, milady. You knew her as Guessica."_

Another nightmare. An evil woman in a labcoat, denying a little girl life saving medicine, threatening to let her die if I didn't surrender. We shot the woman, found the `medication' she held was only cranberry juice. The child died. I still think about how the woman kept saying the child's death would be my fault.

I wiped tears out of my eyes, getting up from my bed.

I still wasn't used to sleeping in a cave. Before fully registering my surroundings, I had the mistaken impression I was back home.

It didn't even remotely resemble a bedroom.

The cavern, about the size of a two bed motel room, had walls made of fluted rainbow colored rock formations, and the furnishings were spartan at best. Straw beds, woven baskets to hold our clothing, a clay wash pot and an obsidian mirror. A little eyeless mouse scurried past my feet, diving into a hole in the rocks.

I practically had a daycare center sleeping around me, orphans I adopted, children no one else wanted to claim. Two of them belonged to Golic's cult, Bo Peep, an African American girl with her hair in cornrows, Absolute Lee, a fat Korean kid, both children in army clothes. Although the cult leaders said the children were theirs, the kids liked me better because I actually tried to give them a childhood.

With these children were two mutants, Mark and Luke, whom scientists created in a laboratory by combining human DNA with genetic code they'd captured from a space telescope. One resembled a pillbug, the other a weasel combined with a porcupine, but their human features were most dominant.

And then, dearest to me of all, there was Caitlyn, a little blonde girl who, due to my abnormally stunted growth, I knew first as friend, then, after the government murdered her parents, a daughter. Unlike the others, she wore a toga of green skins, like the natives of the planet.

My `personal bodyguard' Moe, a muscular bald guy, was cloned in a lab just like me, Mark and Luke, but without any alien modifications. He thinks he's my boyfriend, but... _I don't know_.

I frowned at the man in red. "Any sign of your.. _.gods?"_

When we crash landed on this planet, we had four bug-like aliens in our party, but now, no longer imprisoned in a military base, they made use of their newfound freedom by disappearing into the jungle. "No, milady. The lords have not returned."

I sighed. "It's dangerous out there. We can't just go wandering off in the jungle, no matter what we need from that ship."

"Milady, _soon she may rot, and we will no longer be able to honor her last wishes._ "

Guessica had been part of the cult. Upon death, she wanted the aliens to eat her body. " _She's in a freezer_. Please. I don't want to think about this. Not until we can safely enter the jungle." With that, I left the cave.

Presently, we lived on a planet called Pandora, in the Alpha Centauri galaxy. We lived with a tribe of blue aliens called Na'vi, along the rim of a vast crater lake. The tribe, the Tamtiwa, sustained their community by trading and fishing. We had a spectacular view of a beach, and every morning and evening we could see the tribespeople working out there, weaving baskets, cleaning fish, floating an armada of outriggers and rafts as they cast their nets into the water.

The crater lake was huge. Underwater caverns led out to the ocean, flooded in fresh sea water, hence the abundance of fish. I once asked the natives about sharks, but nobody seemed to know what I was talking about.

I strolled barefoot in the sand, the waters of the Heecbam lapping over my toes, taking a deep breath of salt air.

I coughed. I was still getting used to my organic breathing apparatus. The Bazrok, a slug-like creature native to Planet Pandora, crawls into your lungs, converting the toxic air into breathable oxygen. Trouble was, the breathable oxygen filled your mouth and nostrils with mold smells, something like a cross between decaying soggy bran cereal and rotten coconut flavored meat.

The Tamtiwa did this for us, saved our lives. We owe them a debt of gratitude.

"Where are you going, mom?" a voice called behind me.

I glanced back at the little toga clad figure. "Nowhere. Just David's cave."

Although David was a friend, we had to rely on Tamtiwa hospitality. That meant we received generally unfurnished caves on the outskirts of their village, and we didn't get to pick who we stayed next to. My cave was next door to Zuvdi and Cexmurg, a pair of lazybones Na'vi that spent a little too much time getting high on vine smoke and fighting with their wives. Their babies were always crying. Next to that lay the cavern the tribe used as a toilet, _then David's cave_.

It was early, but the guy was already up and tending his three babies.

Skinny, white, clad in a ruffled dress-like outfit patterned like a spotted owl. The brown matched his hair.

David's wife was an Abreya, an alien from the planet Pathilon. Due to a few (ahem) _complications_ in the marriage, none of the babies looked alike.

 _Speaking of daycare centers..._

His eldest, Nathan, was fathered by another Abreya. The boy was completely covered in fur, had a long opposum-like tail, and a face that didn't resemble David at all.

Haman, his second, was a cruel breeding experiment done by the paramilitary group DAMBALLAH, the same one that made Mark and Luke. They actually fertilized the mother with Nathan's DNA to get a `pure' Abreya. Sick bastards.

The kid was ugly. Tiny lopsided eyes spaced far apart, like a bird or fish, harelip so wide that a number of his uppers were visible all the way to the gum line, floppy ears like a dog, if you shaved off all the hair from one. The child also had horn-like nubs protruding from his forehead.

His body, with its covering of hair, had the appearance of a caterpillar, the arms and legs six useless looking stubs...it had an extra set of arms. The tail was also disproportionately long.

Only Quana, the youngest, was truly David's. Short tail, no harelip, the only other alien feature of her body being the naturally growing fur bikini `boots' and `gloves' covering otherwise bare human flesh.

His wife stood by, supervising a diaper change. _Cloth,_ obviously. Her stumpy tail waved at me as I entered the cave. As an afterthought, she repeated the gesture with her hand. "Dusaq, Bila Siebers."

Siebers is my last name. I felt the formality unnecessary.

I stared at the alien's guinea pig-like face. I still wasn't used to her strange appearance, especially now when she had traded her chiffon princess dress for a more revealing native style toga of animal skin. Her body was really hairy. "Just Ellie, please. _We're friends._ "

 _"I'm trying to teach Nathan._ If we can't practice formality here, it won't get any practice."

"We'll start a worship service once the babies are taken care of," David muttered.

I frowned. Although I liked going to church services for the first time in my life, it wasn't the reason for my visit. "Golic's getting antsy. See any sign of the queen or Julia?"

David shook his head. "Frankly, I wish I had. _Sarah's been driving everyone nuts about it._ _You know how she claims Julia as her baby."_

The human blonde woman, clad in a yellow sundress, lay asleep in a straw bed with her own baby clutched to her breast. The infant slobbered on her gray jumpsuit. DAMBALLAH's breeding program created that baby too, but it was a hundred percent human. They'd combined her DNA with David's, artificially. _Let's just say they wanted to break up his marriage._

 _"I guess it takes a lot of energy to be that annoying,"_ David remarked.

Hearing muttering and scratching sounds, I glanced back at the back of the cave and saw a middle aged curly haired woman showing another Abreya some math problems on a piece of slate.

The alien female's eyestalks followed the woman's hands as she scratched in the various symbols.

Camille was the mother of one of David's friends. Her student, Sharad, had been adopted by David and his wife. I saw Camille as my mentor, an example of how to raise and teach kids...when she wasn't helping me catch up on stuff a normal woman of my physical age should know already.

I, Caitlyn and Sharad had worked about five of these problems when David announced he was going to begin a service.

Before he even reached the cavern entrance, however, a small bug-like black shape came scurrying in, shaking blood off its body like a dog after a bath.

Her species was Ss'sik'chtokiwij, what humans on earth called `Xenomorphs.' They resembled enormous ants, of white coloration at their larval stage, shiny black as they grew older. She bared her translucent teeth in a smile.

It was a Ss'sik'chtokiwij. A xenomorph, another space creature, this one with a form that combined the features of machine and animal life.

"Lammy!" I cried. " _Where have_ you _been?_ "

The creature answered, " _Hunting_. I and the kindred have found something interesting in the jungle. I think you will want to come see this."

I swallowed. "Lead the way."

As I followed the creature out of the cave, I called, "Wait, Lammy. Is this going to be _safe?_ I mean, there's _wild animals_ and _enemy tribes_ out there, _not to mention the guys that shot down our ship._ Is it a safe area?"

We weren't from around there. We'd been investigating a distress call from someone on the planet surface when the American vessel _ISV Venture Star_ shot us down.

For some time, we'd wanted to regain our possessions, re-establish radio communications, and improve our surroundings with the few precious creature comforts from the wrecked vehicle, but the tribe didn't let us make any expeditions in that direction.

"The area has not been traveled in some time, but it stands between two areas with higher traffic. If we move with stealth, I do not think we will have to worry."

"We'll be more visible now. Maybe we should do this at night."

"Actually, we have observed the area for some time, and they seem to do more... _things_ around there in the evenings. I think we should go now."

"Can I come along, mom?" Caitlyn asked.

I sighed. "I'm sorry, honey. It's too dangerous. I don't know what we're going to be dealing with."

"You're always saying that!" she cried. "I'm not a baby! _I remember when you were the same exact age I was!_ I was with you the whole time we were on that island! _I killed a soldier!"_

What she said was literally true. Due to my alien genetics, I had a growth spurt. And when we were escaping from government people, she _had_ fought with live munition. "I know, sweetie, but _mothers are supposed to protect their kids_ _until they become grown women."_

 _"But I wanna help!"_

"You really want to help? _Try to master the Na'vi language and make friends with the guys in this village._ Learn as much as you can about the jungle and the plants and animals and other tribes. You know, _survival skills._ "

Caitlyn pouted. _"But that's boring."_

I sighed, rubbing her head. Back at the island, her hair had been shaved down to stubble, but now it was coming in a little. A few more days, and she'd no longer be butch and maybe we could cut it in a Bob or something. "It doesn't have to be." Since she still wasn't convinced, I added, "Look. _You wanted a mom. I'm being a mom._ I don't want my kid getting _shot_ , or _stabbed_ , or _getting mauled by wild animals."_

"Yeah, but _you're going to take Mark and Luke with you, aren't you?"_

I rolled my eyes. "Honey, _they're not human_. Look. _If you were older_ , if you, I don't know, get some fighting and survival training from the villagers, I'd feel more confident in letting you come with me. But right now... _I just worry about you._ "

Caitlyn frowned at the sand. "Okay, mom."

I turned her chin up. "C'mon. I'm only doing this because I love you." And I gave her a hug.

I returned to my cave, enlisting the aid of Moe, Mark and Luke. The two cult guys, of course, were all too eager to join in.

"My Lord Lammy," Golic said. "I would follow you to the very gates of Hell itself!"

The alien growled in annoyance. "I hope it doesn't come to _that._ "

The three human children, although not particularly devoted to the cult anymore, were stir crazy. "I want to come along," Absolute said.

I put my hands on my hips. "I'm sorry. I just don't think that's safe. Too many kids have died while following me into places like this."

"We've fought alongside you before," Bo Peep said.

"I know, I know," I groaned. " _But that was out of desperation_. _I was afraid those DAMBALLAH people would suck you back into their compound._ We're safe now. _We're free._ I want you kids to have an actual childhood, and not get tore apart by lions or shot with arrows or God knows what else. Anyways, we're just going to do some _recon_. It might be nothing."

 _"Then why won't you let me come along!"_ Caitlyn insisted.

"It's a bad area. We don't know who's out there, so I don't want to put anyone at risk."

There were groans of disappointment.

"You heard your mother," Moe said, which, although not specifically stating he was my husband, _implied it._ That really embarrassed me.

Deciding that kind of disagreement would do nothing to convince the kids to obey, I just said, "You should all go see David. Chapel's probably already going."

I was about to mention that we almost died for the privilege of worship like that, but, to be honest, Absolute and Bo Peep probably disagreed. They were in it for the aliens.

Absolute and the other kids grumbled to each other, but then, after taking note of Golic's deranged facial expression, they filed out.

Caitlyn was the last to go. Moe gave her a hug. "Don't worry. Mommy and I will be back in a few."

"Be careful."

"Don't worry. We will."

"Will we bring along Sharad, milady?" Golic asked.

I shook my head. "Pillow is very protective of her kids. I don't blame her...Let's go."

As we neared the outskirts of the village, the tribespeople asked where we were going. I tried to explain it in their language, but they didn't understand. Eventually they said a bunch of stuff that sounded like warnings and let us go on alone.

A crude ramp-like stair wound up around the solid part of the crater. I followed the dog sized alien up to its summit, climbed my way down the steep grade on the opposite side. The plants growing there resembled cactus, but purple, with huge palm tree leaves and flowers exploding from them. One of the many things you got used to seeing around that place.

The path wound down to the jungle proper. The safe paths had been marked with the symbols of the Tamtiwa tribe, indicating their territory. Most Na'vi respected them, as long as we respected the markers the other tribes set up.

I noticed a massive dark shape in the foliage as we neared the Tamtiwa council ring. I waved, and it emerged into the light. Giant, half insect half machine. Its shell was cracked, its once glorious crown broken and bent in parts. She was still healing from many battles. The queen Ss'sik'chtokiwij.

Golic and Tido immediately dropped to the ground in worship. "Goddess Shasharmazorb!"

"Oh get up, you ninnies!" she growled in annoyance.

The man rushed to their feet, saluting her. "We obey your every command!"

The big alien frowned at me. "Was it absolutely necessary for you to bring _them_ along?"

 _"They can fight,"_ I said. "I still don't know what we're up against."

Shasharmazorb groaned. "Those two were the main reason I was away so long."

I was speaking an alien tongue, but the two men had picked up enough to become dismayed when they heard this. The queen had to roar at them to silence their protestations.

"I'm sorry," I said. "It can't be helped. We _do_ owe them a lot."

Before we landed on this planet, the queen had made a rather irrational promise to our two cult members, and now they pestered her about it. "Goddess," said Golic. "Have you laid any eggs? We wish to receive our _glorified forms._ "

"No. When it is time, I will let you know. Now be quiet."

"I obey your every command."

The queen groaned, rubbed her face with a claw.

Out from the shadows stepped a humanoid black bug, about the same height as Moe, six feet, more or less. "Who is it, grandmother?"

"Old... _friends."_

I waved to the alien. "Hi, Julie."

Amos, the size of a pit bull, joined her. "Ellie!"

I smiled. "I guess everyone's here...so where's-"

Everyone wasn't there. As soon as I said this, a black woman in a loincloth swung down, Tarzan-like, from a tree.

The woman Hosea, mocha skinned, thin, with a curving little nose like a bird beak. Another DAMBALLAH experiment, this one a result of murdering a xenomorph while joined to a human's mind. A Ss'sik'chtokiwij trapped in a human's body, her Ss'sik'chtokiwij body had been born from Ernie, granddaughter of the queen, which made her Julia's sister. She was barely decent, the little wrapping of skins only providing the most basic of coverage between her legs and over her chest. _I had insisted._

"What did you find?" I asked the queen.

"It is... _a thing!"_

I had to be patient with her. I'd promised to teach her how to read, but after we'd crash landed here, she hadn't taken me up on the offer for some reason. I _really did_ want to expand her horizons, if she'd let me, but that required patience. "Was it...a _ship thing?_ "

The queen nodded stupidly.

"Okay... _And it's near the border of enemy territory."_

"Yes. I _could_ kill them..."

I shook my head. "That's not... _nice._ We should try _stealth_. Hopefully we won't need to use violence."

"I see. _Stealth. Silence._ That's why you did not bring your larva, or friend's larva."

"Yes. Too noisy...speaking of which, I...I'm not sure if it's a good idea for you to come along. Someone could spot you, and then spot us."

The queen growled, looking a little depressed.

"Maybe it, _she_ can bring up the rear?" Moe suggested. I could tell he didn't like the words coming out of his own mouth, but he wanted to put up a good front to impress me.

I nodded. "You're right. We probably _will_ need her to back us up."

This pleased the queen too, because she _had_ begun to look a bit grumpy.

We _did_ travel with stealth for a few kilometers. We were all fighters, of a thorough understanding of the stakes, and how so much as a snapping twig could spell trouble. Lammy led the party, weaving her way through multicolored glowing bushes of anemone things, and clumps of poisonous lollipop looking plants Absolute nearly died from eating.

"You have still not taught me how to read," the queen said behind me.

"I know, mom..." I'd been created from her genetics, and astronaut Ellen Ripley, so I had the right to say that. " _But you disappeared_. It's kind of hard to teach someone that isn't there."

She purred. "I am sorry. _You have our abilities, though. You could have looked for me._ "

"I have... _larva_ to care for. If you stayed nearer to the village, I could bring them with me and we could have a `class.'"

`Mom' gave me a reluctant nod.

"So..." Moe whispered. "Think we'll find anything good?"

I shrugged.

"I feel kinda naked without our guns. I hope we can find some soon. That and _food_. I can only take fish and... _alien stuff_ so long..."

I didn't feel it necessary to reply to that. I mean, I agreed, but, you know, _stealth_.

"We haven't seen a single human being since we arrived, well, _unless you count those guys that shot us down, and that was only on a video screen..._ "

I rubbed my face. _"Are you trying to tell me something?"_

"Well, yeah. I mean, _we're made for each other_ , and I don't se why we can't, well, _love each other._ "

"I _do_ love you," I said.

 _"Yeah. Like a brother."_

I rolled my eyes. "Moe, I might have been cloned to be the Bride of Frankenstein, but that doesn't mean I'm _content_ with being Mrs. Frankenstein."

Moe furrowed his brow. _"It's_ Kermit _, isn't it?" I've_ seen _you making eyes at him."_

"It's _Curmabo,"_ I corrected.

Curmabo _was_ kind of cute. He did a lot of deep sea fishing on the other side of the rocks, so I didn't always see him, but... _"I don't see how that's any of your business."_

 _"I'm your bodyguard and I'm your babysitter..."_

 _"And I appreciate that,_ I really do. We're _friends_ , okay? I love you like family. _But to be lovers...I don't know..._ "

He cleared his throat, acting like it were no big deal. "Guess you wouldn't care if _I_ shopped around, right? _Find me a Na'vi female?_ "

He was kind of giving me an ultimatum, and I didn't like it too much. _"...Knock yourself out."_ I mean, _I did like to keep my options open_ , but I needed a little space or I'd be bearing his kid so fast my head would spin.

 _"Knock yourself out,"_ he grumped.

 _That certainly got me some space!_ Moe didn't talk to me at all after that.

I heard rustling behind us. Apparently we'd been followed.

I stared up into a tree and saw a half naked blue body. I pointed, addressing the queen. "How long has _he_ been up there?"

Shasharmazorb shrugged. _"The whole time."_

 _"And you never thought to mention it?"_

 _"Hosea wishes to mate with him. I thought it unimportant to mention."_

"Anyone else you think unimportant?"

She shook her head.

Hosea gave the stranger a wave.

Mark and Luke trailed silently behind Lammy for awhile, but then lost patience and started hopping around randomly through the bushes, chasing animals and playfighting with Amos until I scolded them for making too much noise.

"Besides, remember what happened last time you played too rough," I said.

Back on the island, Luke got to crying and everything because the xenomorphs got dirt in his eye.

Luke crawled up on my shoulder. "Mommy?"

I tried my best not to seem annoyed. "Yes, sweetie?"

"Who do you love more, me or Caitlyn?"

I sighed. "Mommy can't play favorites. I love you both equally."

"What about Mark and me? Which one of _us_ do you love more?"

"You're not being fair. I can't make a choice like that."

They seemed to accept this.

"We're missing worship, aren't we?" Julie asked me.

I shrugged. "Yeah, I mean, David's probably doing a service, but you can always have a make up session later. He told me. He doesn't have anything better to do."

This made her smile.

"You're a lot like your mother."

Julia sighed. " _I miss her_. I wish she hadn't gotten trapped on that space station."

"If we had a way to get back, I'd get her."

She chuckled. " _If wishes were fishes..._ "

"What does that mean?" Hosea asked me. _"Wishes...and fishes?_ "

"I don't know. It's just something people say when things don't go their way." I frowned at her outfit. "Speaking of which, I _wish_ you'd wear more clothing."

 _"It's hot."_ She bounced her bosom playfully. " _Nacmunko_ likes how I look."

The male in question smoked meats, wove baskets, and made knives. Generally unfriendly... _except with her_. In fact, _he was the guy following us from the trees._ _"Whatever floats your boat."_

 _"How interesting you should say that! I have been getting attention from Curmabo too!"_

I clenched my fists. _"You trying to piss me off?"_

Hosea shook her head. _"Why."_

And then realization seemed to dawn on her. _"He is yours? You didn't not specifically state this."_

I blushed. "I... _I don't know yet._ Can you at least have the frigging decency to let me find out?"

Hosea chuckled. "Do not feel threatened. He is far too sensitive and weak...You do not like Moe in this way?"

 _"Not...exactly."_

Moe snorted.

"Would it trouble you if _I_ had him?"

I slowly turned to look at my muscular friend. Of course, he looked my way too, making me quickly avert my gaze. "I'd like to see you try."

Moe stared at her. _"As much as I like the body, I don't think I'll_ ever _be ready for your kind of crazy."_

At this point, the basket weaver dropped down from the trees, jabbering something at us, shaking his head no.

 _"He says this is Karjodo territory,"_ Hosea said. _"You cross and you make war with them."_

"Tell them we're taking a rout around their territory."

Hosea tried, but Nacmunko was unhappy, jabbering something else.

"Hurry," Hosea translated.

We found a refrigeration unit. Well, _a quarter of it_. The other compartments must have crash landed somewhere else. Inside we found a stockpile of frozen food, and most importantly, our dead friend Guessica's body. Her little corpse looked bruised, but otherwise intact. We could have our memorial service now.

The thing felt like it weighed a ton, but we had the queen and strong people on our team, so we made it out of forbidden territory in a couple minutes.

About a kilometer down the trail, the queen suddenly snarled, dropped the refrigeration unit on the ground, nearly pulverizing Moe's foot in the process. "What! What the flying fuh-"

The queen reached into the bushes, pulling out a fat screaming kid.

 _"Absolute!"_ I scolded. _"I thought I told you-!"_

And then Caitlyn and the other kids came rushing out.

 _"What did you find?"_ Bo Peep asked.


	2. Chapter 2: Na'vi

JULIE'S JOURNAL, EIGHTH QUARTER MOON, 1ST CYCLE, PLANET PANDORA, MIDDAY

We distributed the remains of a dead child amongst ourselves, ingesting each organ with reverent ceremony that mirrored communion.

Believe it or not, this had been the child's dying wish.

Her name was Guessica, a devoted servant and friend of our kind. Her cold unclothed body lay on a bier of sticks and animal skins. Out of respect, precise surgical cuts had been made to remove the organs while keeping the exterior structure and flesh intact. Her face will not be mutilated in any way.

No sauces or spices have been used. We devour the flesh cold. This serves to again remind us that this meal, presented amidst a vast jungle teeming with meat, is not something we do lightly, nor is it a thing we should make a regular practice of. There would be no recipes, no eleven herbs and spices, no twist of lime to add flavor. We consume a friend.

When finished, we were to sew the body up and prepare it for burial. The smaller organisms of rot will serve to complete Guessica's final act of giving, distributing nutrients into the surrounding soil. We will attempt to grow Earth plants in this area.

Only I and three others of my kind partake of this ceremonial meal. My great-grandmother Shasharmazorb the queen, Lammy and Amos, my two younger siblings.

Friends of the deceased, those who can stomach the sight of human cannibalism, stood in a semicircle around us, observing the proceedings with reverent respect.

With the exception of Hosea and Sarah, they are cult members who have, for reasons unclear to me, deified those of my species. Two male adults lead them, Golic and Tido. Two children stood by them, Bo Peep and Absolute.

Hosea is technically my little sister, but as much as she wanted to participate, we were concerned about her health, both psychological and physical. Human meat would either make her sick, or require cooking, something which Ellen, our leader, expressly forbade us to do.

Sarah, having been born a clone with little exposure to the outside world, observed our ritual with wide eyed fascination rather than disgust. She wished to absorb as much of reality as she could, to make up for all those years she'd lived in computer simulation aided isolation.

A pair of strong stomached blue natives, Mulcow our guide and tribal chieftain Kihxumaj, stood alongside them, their gold yellow eyes reflecting a wary respect, possibly fear.

Before this ritual, we had our memorial service. Since many among us believe in Jesus, the ceremony had Christian content. Unlike what we did at present, my entire team, my family and community had been in attendance, the less religious individuals observing in silence.

David's family presided over the ceremony. Pillow led us in some very beautiful Earth songs, _He'll Bear You Up On Eagles Wings, Lord You Have Come to the Lakeshore_ , and a few others from the planet Pathilon as well. David gave the sermon from an altar he, Pillow and their adopted daughter Sharad built from rocks they'd found in the area.

During the service, Camille and Ellie took turns caring for David's babies and keeping them quiet. Moe watched over Caitlyn, Luke and Mark.

Surrounding all this were the hairless blue skinned natives of the planet, the Tamtiwa, whom we have grown to accept as friend and neighbor.

The Tamtiwa have feline features. They are peaceful fisher folk who dwell in a network of caverns surrounding the Great Heecbam Crater Lake. Although they had been frightened of me at first, these gentle creatures now recognize me as a friend, and a boon to their otherwise struggling economies.

Few raised complaints during this ceremony. Even the Tamtiwa, who needed the rituals and speeches translated into their own tongue, understood the concepts readily enough, and did not protest what was being said.

The interment, however, caused many to shudder and go elsewhere. I was assigned the duty of calling everyone back when the child had been sown up (I picked up my sewing abilities from mother). Sadly, she was not present, having been separated from us elsewhere in the galaxy due to a space travel mishap.

As great-grandmother passed me the child's heart, I looked at it, opened my mouth, and hesitated.

Of all the Ss'sik'chtokiwij, I am the most stricken in conscience by this act. Although I have killed and eaten a few soldiers in my efforts to free us from imprisonment in a human military compound, to devour a friend's body fills me with sadness, and a question arises in my mind: Would mother have done this?

Mother loved humans. I am quite possibly the only alien of my species to ever hatch from a human being without killing the host.

For reasons I do not understand, my method of conception is difficult for most humans to accept, more so than if I had merely ruptured a victim's internal organs and burst from their rib cage, as in a traditional birth.

At mother's request, the Abreyas, being technologically advanced, created a special womb for me, one which simultaneously allowed me to be birthed like a human infant and protected the host body Sarah from internal damage. As far as I know, I am the only Ss'sik'chtokiwij to be born this way. I love both my parents, and would never kill or lay eggs in the human that birthed me.

The atmosphere of Pandora is toxic, but I and all my friends had been impregnated with a helpful symbiote which allowed us to breathe the air without mechanical assistance.

Freedom is strange. I have spent half my life without it. For the first time in many days, I have had complete freedom to go where I want, do what I want, and sometimes, when hunger strikes me, to kill and eat whatever animal I want.

But even better than that, I have a _true sense of belonging, to both family and tribe,_ something which has been denied to me by various government agencies since birth. All thanks to my friends.

A sudden animal scream interrupted the quiet of our somber burial ritual, the fronds of hundreds of jungle plants exploding outward to reveal an army of horned pig faced creatures, all armed with shiny metal daggers and clubs. We ducked as a thousand arrows rained down from the canopies of nearby trees, some blazing with fire.

The screams of these homely beasts were like the squealing of pigs. Some of them fired pistols at us.

"Eywa!" they cried. "Ixec Eywa jod Neytiri!" which is a chant for they're goddess Eywa and Neytiri.

I hissed in pain as one of their bolts buried itself into my shoulder plate.

"Who are these creatures!" I called to Molcow, our interpreter.

"They are the Puvjong Usabju!" he answered. "They possess the evil magic of the devil gods! Unless your magic is stronger than theirs, I suggest you run!"

Concealed in the foliage, our foes appeared to be innumerable. The pig demon Usabju swung from the treetops, firing rifles, unleashing arrows, sprang from the brush as handfuls of their comrades charged ahead brandishing knives and axes, squealing their war cries.

Two of our Tamtiwa friends, Zuvdi and Cexmurg, died immediately, Zuvdi with an arrow through the chest, Cexmurg from gunshot wounds.

Moe, armed only with a crude wooden spear, was clearly at a disadvantage. "Dammit," he growled as his eyes searched the plants, the bushes. "I wish we had our guns!"

Ellie, following close behind him, twirled a primitive adze in her hands, muttering, "I know, but the ship is in _their turf._ There's not a lot we can do."

"We can't just let these oinkers and their earth goddess force us to stay on this shithole planet forever."

Ellie let out a heavy sigh, seeming to indicate that she didn't mind living there. "I know, but the more we try to push our way into their territory, the more they push back. We need to be smart about it."

Moe waved the spear at her. "You call this Boy Scout shit smart?"

Ellie put a finger to her lips, climbing up the sheer sides of a tree. A moment later, a dead Usabju tumbled from its boughs.

As Moe checked the body for a pulse and weapons, he bumped into Caitlyn, who had previously been lurking behind a wall of plants with a knife. _"Hey! I thought your mother told you to go stay with Pillow!"_

"I want to help!"

"You can't! It's dangerous!"

 _"I've been in danger before! You didn't say anything then!"_

 _"We've been over this before, Caitlyn!"_ Moe growled through his teeth. "We let you fight because we were friggin' trying to get your ass to safety! You're a _kid!_ You need to have a _childhood_ and _make it to your eighteenth birthday!_ Get out of here!"

"My last mom died because I didn't help! I don't want that to happen again!"

Caitlyn had two mothers, and someone from the government murdered them both. Ellie tells me their parenting skills had been somewhat lacking, but she probably still would have been better off with them. Thanks to Ellie's enemies, the poor child had missing fingers and a dead uncle.

The man rolled his eyes, turned to face my sister. "Yo. _Famous Amos._ Can you guard the brat so she doesn't get killed?"

Moe had colorful nicknames for many of my companions. We at first took offense at it, but we've since learned to accept it as mere friendly talk, a sign of comradeship.

"Yes, sir." Amos pulled Caitlyn down a side trail that led back to the Tamtiwa encampment. Caitlyn struggled against her, but the Ss'sik'chtokiwij was stronger.

"Mom!"

"I'll be fine, Caitlyn," Ellie called back. "Mommy's not human!"

"Neither are they!" the little girl whimpered, but by then she was gone down the trail.

We Ss'sik'chtokiwij can sense body heat and smell, so my great grandmother charged ahead of the group, shattering skulls with her mouth claw, spearing enemies with her tail, ripping their bodies open. Golic and Tido kept to her flanks, stabbing any of the brutes daring enough to come close.

I, in the meantime, aided her much more capable hybrid children in hunting down our foes that bore mechanized weaponry. I tracked them with my infrared sense, then Mark, being gifted with the ability to projectile throwing porcupine-like spikes, quietly scaled the tree the gun firing Usabju were hiding.

Mark flew at a pig man with a barrage of quills, knocking him bloody from the tree, Luke ending the creature's life with his retractable wrist spears.

I growled in annoyance when I noticed Sarah, baby in her arms, tailing me with her knife drawn.

I waved to Lammy. _"She's mad! Get her out of here!"_

I had been speaking in Ss'sik'chtokiwij, but she, due to being so close to our kind, understood everything I said. " _I'm your mother!_ _I birthed you!_ I don't want you to get hurt!"

Her tongue, despite being sliced down the middle with a laser (a self inflicted wound) but she had mastered the art of speaking with the impairment, much to my annoyance.

Technically, I had two mothers, but it didn't help my case to mention it. "Mom, I know! I love you too, but you're in twice as much danger as me! You don't even have an exoskeleton! _And you're carrying Pontias!_ "

With as much care and delicateness of passing a football or a doll, she handed the infant to Gabren, a big strong Tamtiwa with scars and tattoos crisscrossing his chest. "Here. Take this," she said in their language.

The feline creature grumbled something in annoyance, running down the trail with the baby.

As a group of Usabju charged at Bo Peep and Absolute, Ellie stepped in front of them, holding out her arm to keep them back.

"We have knife and combat training," Bo Peep said.

Ellie frowned. "Be careful."

The two children slew four, but Ellie kept protectively fighting ahead of them, making it unclear if the children's skills were actually being utilized, or if they only served to mop up after her.

I and Lammy kept close to Sarah, killing any pig aliens that tried to attack her. She served no function in this fight other than bait. She'd run after one of our blue foes, only to get grabbed, beaten, fired at, or nearly stabbed to death. I and my sister kept having to yank arrows out of our shells as we functioned as her shield.

"Please, mother," I urged. "Go back to the encampment where it's safe! You can't fight! You're only getting in the way!"

Sarah started crying. _"Is that really what you think of me?"_

"Mom!" I groaned. "It's not like that!"

I rushed over to Bopwan, a wiry older Tamtiwa, pointing to my mother. "Get her out of this place! She's going to get herself and everyone else killed!"

He gave me a curt nod and dragged her shouting and struggling away.

Hosea, in the meantime, fought with stealth, employing every kind of brutal dirty trick she could, throwing dirt in her enemy's eyes, pulling their reproductive braids until they caused pain, bashing their heads with rocks and tripping them with branches. She brought down as many Usabju as Great Grandmother.

Through combat, we reduced the enemy force to seven individuals. They let out shrill noises, fleeing further and further away, dispersing to what seemed to be the four winds.

"Leave them!" Mulcow yelled to me as I dove through a thicket. "Fall back! They attempt to trap us!"

Since Great Grandmother would have kept charging ahead like a bull elephant, I caught up with her first, relaying the order.

"I can destroy them! I can kill them all!"

I sighed. "Perhaps, mother, but a clever human can lure a tank into a hole to destroy or immobilize it. You _are_ familiar with tanks, are you not?"

Great Grandmother slowly nodded her head. "The machines that make boom booms...I saw them on the box." She, of course, referred to television.

"Yes. They are massive and deadly, like you, but they can kill us like cowards, through deception and trickery. We must return to the caves."

Great Grandmother stopped in her tracks, reluctantly turning around.

"Fall back!" Ellie shouted.

Our retreat was disorganized and slow, but we at last had everyone gathered together and accounted for, departing down the trail we'd come from.

I helped Mulcow carry Zuvdi's body, Moe and Ellie hauling Cexmurg. These Tamtiwa would have their own burials, but the rituals would be performed at a time honored location sacred to the tribe. There would be special rites, preparations, anointing with herbs and fragrant oils.


End file.
